FULL THROTTLE ROCK

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Full Throttle Rock

Rami Malek is talking frankly about how physically punishing the role of Freddie Mercury turned out to be in the world-dominating Queen movie Bohemian Rhapsody.

He’s rumored to be in the running for an Oscar after his performance helped the production become the biggest-grossing music biopic of all time. The film was also listed among the Top 10 best sellers of the year overall.

The difficulties began with re-enacting Queen’s 1985 Live Aid appearance as the first recorded sequence. Malek and his co-stars spent five days on set, working song by song before he persuaded the producers to let them deliver the entire scene in one take during an additional day.

Rami Malek is talking frankly about how physically punishing the role of Freddie Mercury turned out to be in the world-dominating Queen movie Bohemian Rhapsody.

He’s rumored to be in the running for an Oscar after his performance helped the production become the biggest-grossing music biopic of all time. The film was also listed among the Top 10 best sellers of the year overall.

The difficulties began with re-enacting Queen’s 1985 Live Aid appearance as the first recorded sequence. Malek and his co-stars spent five days on set, working song by song before he persuaded the producers to let them deliver the entire scene in one take during an additional day.

Speaking with Vulture.com, Van Halen vocalist David Lee Roth was asked about the possibility of the band performing some time in the near future. Following is an excerpt from the conversation that hints at things to come, although Roth does not commit to anything even following the initial statement of "When we come back through town in the summertime and do the original thing, maybe somewhere sportin’, maybe with somebody famous, I’ll make sure we get you all tickets so you can see what we do for gainful employment. My mom still wonders."

Vulture: About five years ago, you starred in a mysterious short film called Tokyo Story, in which you murder three poker players. What was the backstory on that?

DLR: "It is the test run for a parallel project that I’ve been working on. Those characters from the short are in a script that has now been worked into a graphic novel. And it is by our accounting the world’s first graphic novel with a full soundtrack. I’ve been working on it for four years. I called Colin Smith, who’s written, I don’t know, 15 books on how to use Adobe Photoshop. He’s been over at my shop three times a week. Working with stellar talents is part of the luxury of being Diamond Dave. I’m smart enough to know these folks, so how much smarter do I need to be? And it’s art-centric. We don’t think about the price. Because, you know, next time my rock band will be playing the same place that the Yankees play. Okay?"

Vulture: Are you telling me that Van Halen will play Yankee Stadium next summer? You promised four New York copy editors free tickets today.

DLR: "Yeah, but I can’t … If I say something on tape here and everybody goes, 'Oh, this leaked…' But, the band will be — I can’t say."

Vulture: Come on.

DLR: "Well, I don’t know how far this privacy actually goes. But the band is solvent. And I can say that I contacted colleagues about being part of the show — Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Jason Aldean, the Foo Fighters, Church, and Stapleton. And they all said that, if everything happens, they would certainly be involved."

After years of being nominated but never winning, Megadeth finally broke through at the Grammy Awards in 2017 as Dystopia won the Grammy for Best Metal Performance. Now that he's won Grammy gold, Dave Mustaine is hoping that there will eventually be more opportunity not only for himself, but also his metal peers.

Speaking to San Francisco's 107.7 The Bone (as heard in the player below), Mustaine stated it's his desire for a second Metal category to be added to the Grammy field. "I joined the Grammy chapter out in Nashville to address that exact thing," Mustaine said. "I joined the Grammy chapter because we have one metal category and I think they've got a dozen polka categories. I stopped going to the Grammys because you'd have to sit through, like, 30 Latin jazz records, and then you'd have to sit through another 30 jazz Latin records. And it's, like, 'What?' So a couple of years ago, the guy that produced our record Th1rt3en, Johnny K, and a couple of other guys at the Grammys tried to get another [heavy metal] category, and they were so close, but it failed."

Even though they were denied once, Mustaine isn't giving up on the idea. "I called them up and I said, 'We're doing this.' So 2020, we're fighting — we're getting all of the metal labels that we know, we're trying to get them all together to petition the Grammys to give us another metal category," said the singer/guitarist.

Mustaine adds, "My record was one of the Top 25 records of the year worldwide for Universal. Don't tell me that we don't deserve another category."

Megadeth didn't have music eligible for a Grammy in the past year, but that could change in 2019 as the group is working on their next album and is expected to tour in support of it next year.

On how producer Johnny Andrews became involved in the songwriting process for the band's 2017 studio album, "Judas":

Chris: "We had worked with Johnny on the 'Lights Go Out' single from the 'Do You Want To Start A War' record. It was our biggest-charting single at the time. When we started to work on this record, we decided we wanted to have a producer. In the past, we were always the producer — [guitarist Rich Ward and I] always make the decisions ourselves between the two of us, all the songwriting as well. We thought, 'Let's bring Johnny in to work the whole record with us.' Johnny is very much a songwriter first and he had a lot of great ideas. He and Rich worked a lot of good stuff out. It was a little bit hard at first, because he's now in charge. Whatever he says goes. Sometimes you didn't want to hear it. 'This is our band. What the hell does he know?' Then we realized he had a real vision for the record and we all got on the same page very quickly and realized we're working toward the same thing. It's not about individual egos, it's about what's best for the record, what's best for the songs, what's best for the band and we achieved that."

On some of the highlights from the recent Chris Jericho Rock 'N' Wrestling Rager At Sea cruise:

Chris: "Just pulling out of the harbor with FOZZY playing 'Judas' in front of a sold-out crowd three years after the inception of the idea when we did the Kiss Kruise. Then, as soon as we landed after that cruise, I said, 'I can do my own. I want to do this.' It took a long time to prepare. Lots of work, lots of aches and pains, ups and downs, but we did it. That was a great highlight. Band-wise, PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS, THE STIR was great, SHOOT TO THRILL, the AC/DC tribute band, the girls, the matches… I mean, just there was so much stuff going on that it was almost impossible to see and do everything you wanted to do, and that was by design; that's the way I wanted it. We're working hard to hopefully announce the second one."

On whether FOZZY has begun work on the follow-up to "Judas":

Chris: "We're about to. I mean, that's the idea is keep the momentum rolling. We had so much on this tour and really have gone to a completely different level. Every country is different, but we're bigger in every country than we were the album before. It's exciting to me, because I know a lot of doors are open now that weren't before 'Judas' came out, and now that it has, we had three Top 10 singles on the record. There's a lot of people who are really keeping an eye on FOZZY who have some really big influence to the point we're opening for IRON MAIDEN in September at Banc Of California Stadium in Los Angeles. We would never would have got that a year ago or two years ago or at least I don't think we would have. We're expecting a lot more of those opportunities as the band continues to build and continues to grow."

The bands will head out on the road together for seven dates, kicking of at Nottingham’s Rock City on April 1 and bringing the curtain down with a set at Wolverhampton’s Steel Mill on April 9.

They’ll be joined by Bad Touch and Vega for the run.

The dates have been revealed to coincide with the news that FM will launch a new live album titled The Italian Job on February 22 via Frontiers Music srl.

It was recorded during the band’s performance at the Frontiers Rock Festival in Milan in April this year, and features new songs and fan favourites, including I Belong To The Night, Tough It Out, That Girl and Other Side Of Midnight.

The Quireboys, meanwhile, recently re-released a 10th anniversary edition of Homewreckers And Heartbreakers and will launch their new studio album Amazing Disgrace in February.

Led Zeppelin are streaming a new video trailer for their 50th anniversary book, "Led Zeppelin By Led Zeppelin." The project is billed as the first and only official illustrated book to be produced in collaboration with the members of the band.

"We can really say that this is the authentic book of Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin," says Jimmy Page in the video trailer. "I just hope that it really travels through the fans and their imagination."

"Celebrating 50 years since the band's formation, it covers the group's unparalleled musical career and features photographs of Led Zeppelin on and offstage from their very first moments together," adds publishers Reel Art Press. "This definitive 400-page volume includes previously unpublished photos, artwork from the Led Zeppelin archives and contributions from photographers around the world."

Published in October via Reel Art Press, the book followed the launch of a number of Led Zeppelin projects to kick off the legendary band's 50th anniversary, including the remastered soundtrack to the concert film, "The Song Remains The Same", and three new digital-only packages: a 30-track career-spanning compilation, "Led Zeppelin x Led Zeppelin", the 10-song set, "An Introduction To Led Zeppelin", and the digital version of the group's first ever Record Store Day release, "Rock And Roll."

In the first concrete report of writing activity, Guns N’ Roses guitarist Richard Fortus said the band were aiming to release a new album “faster than you think,” although he declined to offer much detail.

Members of the Not in This LIfetime lineup of the band, active since 2016, have been cautious about answering questions about a follow-up to 2008’s Chinese Democracy, after that LP’s difficult gestation period meant it was almost impossible for the material to live up to the hype. Frontman Axl Rose recently said, “You never know,” when asked about new music. On the last show of the near-three-year world tour earlier this month, he told fans, “we had to get through this first… we can’t do what’s new until we finish this.”

Asked about Rose’s comments, Fortus told KSHE95, “We’re going to try… try and do another record, get it out soon…” On the subject of its potential high quality, he said, “How could it not be? The band’s so great right now.” He added, “I think it’ll happen faster than you think. I sure hope it happens faster than you think!”

While he wouldn’t divulge whether any schedule was in place or how much work had been completed, he did say that the release of new music by the end of 2019 “could definitely happen” and “there might be stuff started.”

Fortus continued, “We’re hoping to get one out very soon,” although it wasn’t clear whether he meant a new song or the whole LP. The band had no plans for any further live dates, he added, and a new tour would depend “on whether or not we have a new record out. That’s why we want to do it, get new stuff out there.”

On the subject of how Rose might approach the new material’s lyrics, he said the frontman had “a lot to write about,” and added that he wasn’t sure about the assertion that the singer’s lifestyle had changed from the excessive ‘80s period. “Has it?” Fortus asked. “How sure are you about this? I don’t know how different it is. He’s a different cat, for sure. I mean, I didn’t know him back then, but he’s a solid dude now.”

METALLICA's All Within My Hands Foundation (AWMH) has launched a major workforce education initiative that provides direct support to community colleges to enhance their career and technical education programs. These programs provide skills and services to students who are looking to enter a traditional trade or other applied learning program. Ten colleges from across the country will receive $100,000 to support more than 1,000 students training to enter the American workforce. These students will become the first cohort of Metallica Scholars.

Partnering with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), a Washington, D.C.-based organization that represents the nation's 1,103 community colleges, the Metallica Scholars awards were selected via a competitive application process and are designed to provide support of relevant job skill training for community college students, reinvest in communities that supported METALLICA during its recent United States tours, and leverage the influence of METALLICA to elevate the importance of career and technical education.

"The All Within My Hands Foundation and METALLICA are proud to announce this major new initiative," said Dr. Edward Frank, executive director of AWMH. "While the foundation continues our support for the fight against hunger and emergency community aid, we are now expanding our mission to include support for career and technical education. The goal of our Metallica Scholars initiative is to improve career opportunities for community college students in the trades. Equally, we hope to raise the awareness of the tremendous importance, value and impact of the education provided by our nation's community college system. The foundation and the band are thrilled by the quality of proposals we received from these colleges, and are excited to do our part to help educate students so that they have the skills and training necessary to find meaningful and well-paying jobs in their communities."

AWMH will work closely with AACC to implement and manage the program. "We welcome METALLICA as a partner in the career and technical education work of the nation's community colleges," said Walter G. Bumphus, AACC's president and CEO. "Colleges across the country provide pathways to well-paying jobs through programs, services and training that lead to in-demand skills, certificates and degrees for students. These programs are responsive to the needs of local businesses and provide a pipeline of qualified workers to local industry. It's a win-win for our students and the local economy. For METALLICA to see the benefit of these programs and invest in the communities that have supported them is a testament to the power of education and we are proud to do this work with them."

In addressing why the foundation chose workforce education as part of its mission, Lars Ulrich, METALLICA's drummer and co-founder, said: "All of us in the band feel fortunate that music has provided us the opportunity to be successful doing something we are passionate about. We want to share our success with others so that they can find a job where they can do the same."

In keeping with AWMH's philosophy of enabling METALLICA to give back to communities that have supported the band, the recipient colleges are all AACC members and based in and around stops on METALLICA's 2017-2019 "WorldWired" tour.

The 10 sites are:

* Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, North Carolina

* Clackamas Community College, Oregon City, Oregon

* College of Lake County, Grayslake, Illinois

* Community College of Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland

* Gateway Technical College, Kenosha, Wisconsin

* Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Rapids, Michigan

* Lone Star College, The Woodlands, Texas

* North Idaho College, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

* Spokane Community College, Spokane, Washington

* Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology, Wichita, Kansas

The AWMH Foundation was established in 2017 by METALLICA as a means to invest in the people and places that have supported the band. It also provides a mechanism for METALLICA's fans to become engaged in philanthropy and volunteerism. The foundation is focused on supporting sustainable communities through workforce education (in addition to combatting hunger through an alliance with Feeding America), and is fully supported by the band, the AWMH board, and by fans. All expenses of the foundation are covered by the band, the board, and a few special friends, so that 100% of donations go to the organizations it supports. AWMH is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Universal Music Group (UMG) has announced that “Bohemian Rhapsody”, the iconic single by British rock legends Queen, officially became the world’s most-streamed song from the 20th Century, as well as the most-streamed classic rock song of all time.

UMG’s teams around the world have actively promoted discovery across streaming platforms, physical reissues, merchandise, and experiential programs to introduce "Bohemian Rhapsody" to new fans more than 40 years after it was first recorded. The original song and official video for “Bohemian Rhapsody”, taken from Queen’s seminal 1975 album A Night At The Opera, has surpassed 1.6 billion streams globally across all major streaming services.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” is regularly cited as one of the greatest songs ever recorded. In 2004, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and Freddie Mercury’s vocal performance was named by the readers of Rolling Stone magazine as the best in rock history.

The instantly recognizable anthem also has been buoyed by the success of the biographical film Bohemian Rhapsody, which tells the incredible story of the band’s storied career. In just five weeks on release, the film has become the highest grossing music biopic in history.

Brian May, Queen’s guitarist, and a founding member said, “So the River of Rock Music has metamorphosed into streams! Very happy that our music is still flowing to the max!"

Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, said, “’Bohemian Rhapsody’ is one the greatest songs by one of the greatest bands in history. We are so proud to represent Queen and are thrilled to see the song still inspiring new fans around the world more than four decades after its release. My congratulations to Queen and Jim Beach on an incredible achievement that is a testament to the enduring brilliance of Queen.”

On Feb. 4, 2017, Black Sabbath played their final show, leaving fans to wonder when or if they'd ever get new music from the original members of heavy metal's prime movers. For Geezer Butler, the answer is yes, and it's coming in the form of Deadland Ritual, a new group with a powerhouse lineup featuring drummer Matt Sorum (Guns N' Roses, The Cult, Velvet Revolver), guitarist Steve Stevens (Billy Idol) and singer Franky Perez (Apocalyptica, Scars on Broadway) alongside the legendary bass player. Get your first taste with the music video for "Down in Flames," premiering right here at Loudwire.

The sound of Deadland Ritual isn't typical for any of the members involved and while they all maintain their own distinctive hallmarks, it's united with a renewed spirit and something immediately recognizable as unique. "Down in Flames" lies more in hard rock than metal with doomy overtones and soulful playing. Tension drives this track, each moment a nail-biter waiting to see where Deadland Ritual move next.

"I was working on a new solo album when this came to light," Butler notes. "It was appealing for me to work in a band environment because that's what I'm used to, so [it] feels really natural. I'm really looking forward to playing shows with these guys."

As for how the lineup fell into place, when asked who called who when starting the project, Sorum recalls, "Steve and Franky were the first guys I called. We knew we wanted to create a heavier rock sound, but when I contacted Geezer and he agreed to play I knew this could be a great band. Not long after we connected with producer Greg Fidelman, Deadland Ritual was born."

With two festival dates on their 2019 schedule (Download and Hellfest on June 14 and June 22, respectively), Deadland Ritual aren't rushing anything. As they continue to write, more singles will be released and there's also the possibility that the group will arrive at a full-length album. As for the live set list, they're promising to take a deep dive into each members' catalog and Sorum vows they're “not the typical songs you would expect."

For more updates, keep your eyes on the Deadland Ritual website and follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

According to a new report by The Blast, Motley Crue singer Vince Neil is being sued by his own lawyers over nearly $190k in unpaid bills in an ongoing assault case stemming from an alleged 2016 incident in Las Vegas.

Neil's lawyers at Howard & Howard Attorneys, PLLC filed court documents on December 6 requesting a lien in the amount of $187,364.01 to settle the outstanding fees.

Despite the rocker's failure to pay them, the legal team have continued to work on the lawsuit, which was filed back in 2016 when Neil was sued by Kelly Guerrero over an alleged assault outside the Aria Hotel.

The woman claimed she approached Neil for an autograph but he responded by grabbing her hair and dragging her to the ground; actor Nicolas Cage was with Neil at the time and tried to calm down the rocker as events allegedly unfolded.

Guerrero claims she was left with severe injuries, including neck pain, lower back pain, a fractured tailbone, and a hip injury; she is seeking in excess of $150,000 while Neil has demanded the case be thrown out, denying the allegations of wrongdoing and accusing Guerrero of only seeking publicity.

The Darkness will perform their festive hit Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End) on The Great British Bake Off on Christmas Day, the band have confirmed.

The one-off edition of the show is titled The Great Festive Bake Off, and will see four bakers put through their paces in front of Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith, Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig.

The Darkness will also be in the tent, ready to light things up in style by playing their 2003 hit, with the show set to air in the UK on Channel 4 on Christmas Day at 8pm, with a repeat on New Year's Day at 7:40pm.

To mark the announcement, The Darkness have released a live stream of the track, which has been lifted from their album Live At Hammersmith, which launched earlier this year.

Frontman Justin Hawkins says: “As Santa prepares to empty his sack into our collective Christmas chimney, and young faces smeared with festive brandy butter gaze up expectantly, every day is a fun-filled festive frolic of presents and pies.

“Much as you will enjoy your turkey leftovers on Boxing Day, we are serving up Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End) again, this time in a tasty live sauce. Hooray, eh? A rocking good Christmas to one and all!”

It also looks as if 2019 will be a busy year for The Darkness. Not only are they headlining the Ramblin’ Man Fair on July 19, but they are due to enter the studio to begin work on the follow-up to 2017’s Pinewood Smile.

Brian May says ending Bohemian Rhapsody with a re-creation of Queen's triumphant 1985 performance at Live Aid was always the plan, despite an early report suggesting that an alternative ending was in the works.

"I think there’s a natural culmination there," the guitarist told Louder Sound. "And that has pretty much always been the case, from the earliest scripts. We felt that was the pinnacle – despite what some people have said in the press, who know fuck-all about it. Somebody who shall be nameless said, "'Oh, they’re going to portray Freddie [Mercury] dying in the middle of the movie, and then the rest of it is gonna be about life without Freddie.' Well, complete bullshit. This is all about Freddie, and I think Live Aid is a good point to leave it. Who knows?" May added, laughing. "There might be a sequel."

The nameless person could be Sacha Baron Cohen, who was originally linked with the starring role but walked away in 2013. Two years ago, he told Howard Stern that the idea for the film, as described to him by a member of the band, was that Mercury's 1991 death took place midway through the movie, and then "you see how the band carries on from strength-to-strength. I said, ‘Listen, not one person is going to see a movie where the lead character dies from AIDS and then you see the band carry on.'"

Although May didn't finger Cohen as the source, in the same interview, he said the decision to work with the Borat star "was a near-disaster. I think we realized just in time what a disaster that was going to be. And it actually wasn’t rocket science to figure that out. But yeah, that’s one of the rocks that we nearly hit."

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the formation of LED ZEPPELIN, and the surviving members are celebrating the occasion with the official illustrated book, "Led Zeppelin By Led Zeppelin", covering the band's career chronologically from its first concert in September 1968 through the 2007 one-off reunion show. It is a unique collaboration between Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, who have given Reel Art Press unrestricted access to the LED ZEPPELIN archive.

Asked in a brand new interview with Mark Goodman of SiriusXM Volume's "Debatable" if he has additional projects in mind to coincide with LED ZEPPELIN's half-century anniversary, Page said (hear audio below): "I've always got things in mind, and I always think of things as a schedule of releases over a period of time. I've never been, actually, any different. And, obviously, I would have ideas of things or projects which could go ahead, but, you know, it all takes time. So, at the moment, we've got this [book] out, so that's really brilliant. And who knows what may come further on down the line? I don't know. So I can't really say at this point."

Pressed about possible new material from him in 2019, Page responded: "Ah, well, that's a different story. Yes, you'll definitely be getting stuff from Jimmy Page; I can guarantee that."

Released this past March was a newly remastered reissue of the LED ZEPPELIN 2003 live collection, "How The West Was Won". The set, which features new remastering supervised by Page, marked the first offering from the band in celebration of its 50th anniversary.

In September, LED ZEPPELIN released three new digital-only collections. Available now are "Led Zeppelin X Led Zeppelin"; "An Introduction To Led Zeppelin"; and "Rock And Roll (Sunset Sound Mix)".

Vocalist Doro Pesch, who rose to fame in the '80s fronting Warlock, is featured in a new PETA campaign in a strong stance against cruelty to animals.

"We all feel pain, love, joy, and fear," Pesch says in a new video issued by PETA Germany, found below. "We have a special responsibility toward animals. That’s why I don’t eat meat and only wear faux leather. We are all living beings, good souls. If you listen to your heart, then you know what is right, and then you also know how important it is that we, as humans, take care of animals."

Which superheroes are metal? If there was any debate about Aquaman, actor Jason Momoa may have just settled the argument. During a chat with Metal Hammer, Momoa revealed that he used the metal stylings of Tool, Metallica and Black Sabbath to inspire him to get into the character of Arthur Curry (aka Aquaman).

"Aquaman's pretty metal. I know no one thinks that, but Aquaman's metal," the actor explained. "I kind of build my characters off of metal songs. Conan (The Barbarian) was really heavy Pantera, I'd say Aquaman was probably mostly built out of Tool and (Metallica's) Kill 'Em All. 'Ticks and Leeches,' if I want to get specific. There's a lot of Sabbath in there too."

The James Wan-directed film finds Momoa as the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, but as the city prepares to rise again, he must find a way to unify his two worlds. The film also stars Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman and Dolph Lundgren.

Watch the trailer for Aquaman, which opens Dec. 21 in the U.S., below:

Ace Frehley delivered the first-ever live performance of his self-titled 1978 debut solo album in its entirety during the 2018 KISS Expo in Parsippany, NJ on December 9, and video from the event has surfaced online.

Frehley was backed by members of Gene Simmons' band, who he recently hired after dismissing a group of longtime players. All four original KISS members simultaneously issued solo records at the height of the group's success in the 1970s, with Frehley leading the way in both album sales and singles chart success, with his cover of the 1975 Hello track, "New York Groove", reaching No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Each record in the solo series achieved US platinum status for sales of one million copies, with all peaking in the Top 50 of the Billboard 200: Gene Simmons at No. 22, Frehley at No. 26, Paul Stanley at No. 40 and Peter Criss at No. 43.

The projects were recently reissued separately and in a new limited edition vinyl box set, "KISS: The Solo Albums - 40th Anniversary Collection", while Frehley has also just issued his eighth album, "Spaceman."

Def Leppard fans showed up with authority when it came to voting for the 2019 class of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The legendary group won the fan vote with 547,647 votes, which accounted for 17 percent of all votes cast.

According to Cleveland.com, the British rockers topped the tally, followed by Stevie Nicks (427,844), Todd Rundgren (365,370), The Zombies (329,052) and The Cure (264,442) to win the fan vote. Rage Against the Machine finished ninth in fan voting with 148,208, while the likes of Radiohead, Kraftwerk and MC5 followed.

The five artists with the most fan votes are put on a single ballot, which is the same as all other artists on the short list. Historically speaking the top three or four artists with the most fan votes are inducted, but it’s not a lock that Def Leppard get the call.

Frontman Joe Elliott said they are “cautiously optimistic” about the possibility of being enshrined into the hall, even though he once said the band would “politely refuse” the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. It seems that Elliot had a change of heart, but he recently told Loudwire that the problem with the Hall of Fame is “what elitist thinks is an impact is very different to what the regular man on the street counts as impact.” He added that the reason Def Leppard is nominated is “purely based on American record sales.”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class of 2019 will be announced on Thursday Dec. 13 at 8 AM on the Rock Hall’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages. It will also air live on SXM Volume Channel 106.

The 2019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on March 29, 2019 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

DISTURBED frontman David Draiman, who was well-known a few years ago for his outspoken views on politics and foreign affairs, was asked in a brand new interview with KLOS radio show "Whiplash" if he feels comfortable voicing his opinions in the current political climate. "No," he told host by Full Metal Jackie (hear audio below). "Look, the most surefire way for you to get into an argument is simply to voice an opinion. [Laughs] I had plenty of years of being very vocal about what I believe in. It's there — it's there for eternity. There's nothing I can do about it. There's nothing I really want to do about it. You learn from what you've done in the past. You learn from what you've said in the past."

The singer, who is promoting DISTURBED's latest album, "Evolution", continued: "It's funny. We did this article with Metal Hammer just recently. They were gracious enough to put me on the cover. And it ended up being an interesting piece for me, because they were showing me pieces of what I've been quoted as saying in the past. And yeah, certain things are always taken ever so slightly out of context or whatever. But you go back and you remember yourself saying those things at the time, even if they weren't exactly the way they were quoted, and I'm thinking to myself, 'Oh my God! What the hell were you doing? What were you saying?'"

He added: "If nothing else, I think, hopefully, social media has taught everybody to just watch what they put online, 'cause it'll come back to haunt you. But in today's environment, and there's so much on this record that actually speaks about it, people are addicted to being offended — they are addicted to it. They are lusting for the next little tidbit of information that's gonna give them an excuse to lose it and to wage social war… It's social media war, but to them, it's war, I believe. There's no point. I love to be able to say that I have chosen to just not participate [in] it.

"That's why something like the Supreme Court was created. That's why it was meant to be balanced by conservative justices and liberal justices having a cohesive, respectful, intelligent argument about both sides of the law."

Draiman recently said that he is "never returning to Twitter," three years after deleting his account on the social media platform.

This past August, the singer admitted to SiriusXM Octane that while he does not have an official presence on Twitter, he still uses the platform "as a news tool. I still have a 'shadow' Twitter account," he explained. "But I don't tweet, I don't spew anything. It's just there for me to be able to get my news."

Draiman has in the past battled with Twitter trolls who have harassed him about his sometimes-controversial views regarding Israel and its ongoing conflict with the Palestinians. Draiman has had frequent heated exchanges with followers on Twitter, some of whom believe that Israel is not blameless in the ongoing conflict with Palestinians.

Draiman, the son of Israelis and the grandson of Holocaust survivors, spent much of 2014 and early 2015 linking to articles by conservative and pro-Israel blogs and has often used his fame to speak out against anti-Semitism.

AC/DC guitarist Angus Young is the latest rock star to get his own series of Funko Pop! figurines, featuring three separate combinations of hats and schoolboy outfits.

At most retailers, Young dolls can be purchased with a black suit and cap, or a navy blue suit with a blue hat featuring both an "A" and the Highway to Hell devil horns. An FYE exclusive variant features a red suit and the blue "A" cap, minus the horns.

Funko's three Angus Young figures are expected to hit stores in January 2019.

Meanwhile, AC/DC's future plans been the subject of much speculation this year, as various members were photographed outside of the Vancouver recording studio where the group recorded their last several albums. The band's last tour – their first without Young's brother Malcolm, who died after a battle with dementia and other ailments in November of 2017 – concluded in 2016.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that AC/DC is now crafting a new studio album using riffs the Young brothers wrote and left unused during the creation of 2008's Black Ice. Drummer Phil Rudd (who was unable to join their most recent tour after encountering some unpleasant legal issues) and singer Brian Johnson (who was forced to depart partway through the tour due to hearing issues) are among the band members who were spotted in Vancouver.